PEOPLE & CULTURE

The Story of Australia captures the stunning landscapes and people of contemporary Australia. Experience everyday Australian life through the eyes of people working on the ground – including a wildlife ranger in Kakadu, a rodeo rider in rural NSW, a marine biologist on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and an architect in cosmopolitan Melbourne.

A broad, dynamic overview of everything that is special about Australia – the familiar and the less familiar features of our land, our flora and fauna, an historical context for the series and an insight into Indigenous culture from its ancient rock art to its vibrant, continuing presence.

What rights do we have in a world where individuals are under electronic surveillance 24/7? Who really controls the agencies that spy on us? Seeking to explore this unprecedented crisis democracy faces, we hear from key experts including former CIA Officers and whistle blowers, academics and political experts to search for answers to these questions.

Sons of Perdition follows three teenagers who escape from the chokehold of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saint (FLDS) religion, a secretive polygamist sect located on the remote Utah/Arizona border run by infamous prophet Warren Jeffs. Here men have multiple wives and raise their children by the strict code of the FLDS.

This extraordinary documentary follows Chinese-Australian artist Zhou Xiaoping and his inspiring and at times controversial collaboration with Aboriginal artists over 23 years in remote Arnhem Land, culminating in a highly anticipated landmark exhibition at the Capital Museum in Beijing.

Missing in the Land of Gods follows the heartbreaking journey of Jock and Di Chambers through India in search of their missing son Ryan. This is a road movie, a mystery, an examination of love, hope and grief that takes you on a journey you’ll never forget.

Lake Mungo is one of the world’s richest archaeological sites and the location of the discovery of the human remains known as “Mungo Lady”. This is a tale of science versus indigenous culture and the journey which lead to Mungo Lady being handed back to the Indigenous custodians. The hand-back ceremony becomes a turning point in the relationship between scientists and the local tribal groups.

Sex tourism is a major global growth industry and while men are the traditional customers, increasing numbers of women are seeking a ‘richer’ holiday experience. We follow a group of women who travel to Cuba looking for romance and adventure. What drives these women to seek love under other skies and what are the consequences for everyone involved?

Little Stars tells the surprisingly life-affirming stories of young people around the world living with life-limiting illnesses. Against the odds these children and young adults are making the most of every moment thanks to the support of their loved ones and a dedicated team of pain and palliative care workers

In 1947, the world’s leading photo-journalists chose ten families at random to represent our common humanity in the wake of war. That group of photographers went on to begin the Magnum Photos and included Henri Brsson, Roberta Capa, Goerge Roger and David Seymor. In the 21st century, the BBC tracked down these Chosen People throughout the world to learn of their lives over the extraordinary past half-century.

Will the Okamotos still be growing tea in high tech Japan? How did the Stieglitz family survive the turmoil of post war Germany? What has happened to Mexican farmer Pablo Gonzalez’s 18 children? And what of the Aluma family in war torn Southern Sudan?

Eight years in the making, ambitious in scope and poetic content, Chosen People travels across Italy, Japan, Egypt, Mexico, Germany, China, France, Sudan, England and the USA in search of our human story.

Mark Oremland had a dream – to own his own DC-3 aircraft and fly it from England to his home country New Zealand – recreating the famous flight by Jean Batten who in 1936 became the first person to fly this route. Several people join him on his adventure. The journey is fraught with bad weather, bureaucratic nightmares and engine breakdowns in remote places and towards the end of the journey near disaster strikes. Will Mark realise his dream or could this journey be the last of its kind?